“Norwegian Wood” is a lovely film — which seems like a strange thing to say about a piece of work that centers on love and loss. But perhaps that’s part of the point of the film, and the 1987 novel by Haruki Murakami on which it’s based. The world is a hard place, but also a beautiful one. And sometimes immense beauty is found in the things we eventually conclude we most need to reject.
Such reflections make this film about that age-old topic, the love triangle, fresh, even vitally important. It’s set, though, in the past.
| On screen |
| ‘Norwegian Wood’ |
| 3.5 out of 4 stars |
| Stars: Ken’ichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi, Kiko Mizuhara |
| Director: Tran Anh Hung |
| Rated: Not rated |
| Running time: 133 minutes |
Images of the troubled summer of 1968 in America and France are familiar to most of us. It turns out students marched in Japan then, too. Toru Watanabe (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) is studying at university in Tokyo, but has little time for his fellows’ concerns. He’s too busy reading.
“The world is drowning in problems more profound than Greek tragedy,” one of the protesters says to a professor, asking in a polite, Japanese way to take over the class.
“I can’t imagine anything is more profound than Greek tragedy,” the prof responds, “but suit yourselves.”
That dichotomy between art and life becomes of crucial relevance to Watanabe when he’s torn between two very different women. Noako (Rinko Kikuchi) was the girlfriend of his best friend, but that friend killed himself at 17. The decision was inexplicable, and remains one of the movie’s central mysteries. But the attractions of Noako are not: She’s a sweet, beautiful little bird, though of course haunted by her past.
Less troubled — though maybe not less troubling — is Midori (Kiko Mizuhara). She’s vivacious, embracing life where Noako can’t stop obsessing about death. But it’s difficult for any man — and especially one so literary — to give up on his past. So against the background of unsettled times, Watanabe must start to settle his own life.
Kikuchi should be familiar to Western viewers; she received an Oscar nomination for “Babel.” She’s a tiny little thing, but fills up the screen as her character has filled Watanbe’s empty heart.
Adding to the gorgeousness on screen — the Beatles song gives the film it’s name, but much happens in the outdoors, too — is the tender soundtrack composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. This little gem is one bird you want to catch before it’s flown.
